Door-latching mechanism



May s, 1928.

H. A. DOUGLAS DOOR LATCHING MECHANiSM 3 S gets-aged 1 Filed Feb. 23;

May 8, 1928.

H. A. DOUGLAS DOOR LATCHING MECHANISM s She ets-Sheet 2 fizz/6%?" I Barry 9 Filed Feb. 23, 1927 May 8, 1928.

H. A. DOUGLAS DOOR LATCHING MECHANISM File d Feb. 25, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 5 flzdr M2 3 1% 2701 2225 LQ/ I Patented May 8, 19 28. p T UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- HARRY A. DOUGLAS, 01 BRONSON, MICHIGAN.

DOOR-LAICHING MECHANISM.

Application filed-February 23, 1927. Serial No. 170,35?

My invention relates to door latching preferred form of latching mechanism, a

mechanism and has a number of objects and. portion of the door structure being broken advantages in view, the device of my invenaway; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line tion being of particular use upon the doors 2'2 of Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a sectional view on 5 of automobiles, though the invention is not line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view to be limited to any particular use. on line 4- 1 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a an edge In accordance with one feature of-the in- View of a portion of a door where the latch- -vention, a latch bolt is employed in conlng mechanism is located; Fig. 6 is a secjunction with a handle for operating it and tional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 8; Fig. 7 is a 10 a coupling member for normally coupling sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 3; Fig. 8" the latch bolt with the handle and adjust is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 7; able by suitable mechanism into uncoupling Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a position whereb the operative connection spring barrel, a latch bolt, the bolt operating between the latex bolt and handle is broken shaft, and the tumbler barrel of a lock, in '5 so that if the latch bolt is in engagement separated relation; Fig. 10 illustrates the with the complemental catch, the door will preferred embodiment .of the invention be locked closed. A key operated lock may adapted to be operated WithOut the aid of be employed for locking the coupling m the key; Fig. 11 is a side view of a portion her in uncoupling position o that th h nof an automobile illustrating one use of the 20 dle can not regain control of the latch bolt l k of my invention; Fig. 12 is a longitudiuntil the key perated lock is adjusted by nal sectional view of another embodiment of the key to restore the coupling member to h lllvention; F g- 13 is a sectional V 011 its handle and latch bolt coupling position. 1 1 1 of Fig. 12; Fig. 14: is a sectional It is understood, of course, that the key op- VIEW 011 n 14-14 of gg 15 is 25 erated lock is accessible from the exterior of p sp t v Vi w of a Spring b rrel and cap the automobile or other automotive vehicle. ShOWIl in s p r ted r lation; and Fig. 16 is One such structure is usually provided upon a D P -W Vi w of a Shaft.- anautom bil a d on the i ht, h d fo In the embodlmentof the invention shown door thereof. Each remaining door is proin F g 1 t 9 inclusive, the spring barrel 1 30 vided with a. i ilar ha i r r a d s stationarily contained in a recess 2 formed to be controlled from within the vehicle. n the. (1001 3 0f i1Il automobile, e p g The locking means for holding the couplin barrel also constituting a'spring abutment, member out of coupling relation with the as W111 appear. This door is shown as behandle and latch bolt, when controlled from ing mounted upon hinges 4: at one upright 35 within the vehicle, need not be key operated side thereof and ad'apted,-when in closed po- 7 but is controlled by some. readily manually sition, to fill thedoorway in the surrounding operable means, such as a plunger. portion of the vehicle body. The .door, when a The invention has for another object, the closed, is in the plane of the frame 5 surprovision of means for taking u th w ar rounding the doorway except for the flange 40 between the latch bolt and the catch engage- 6 wh ch laps the frame to close the crack able thereby so-that the door will not rattle betweenqthe door and frame, on the outer when it is closed. Means are employed for side of the vehicle. The flange 6 is prefermaintaining the latch bolt and catch yieldably made of sheet metal and integrally with ingly in engagement, this means being de a shell 7 of the door which contains the 1 sirably in the form of a coiled spring that filler 8, this filler being cut away to afiord operates upon the bolt for this purpose. The the recess 2. The frame 5 is also of sheet bolt is desirably mounted to turn and-when metal and is integral with a shell 9 constithus arranged, I desirably slope the catch tuting a side of the vehicle'body-and conengaging surface of the latch bolt obliquely taining the filler 10, windows, of which one 1 of the axis of movement of the bolt so that is indicatedat 11, being formed through the as wear proceeds, a new place of engagement shell 9 and filler 10. The spring barrel 1 of the bolt and latch will be found auto has a reduced annular extension 12 projectmatically. ing outwardly from the outer end wall 13 I will explain my invention more fully of the spring barrel and passing through 1 by reference to the accompanying drawings the shell 7 to the exterior of the door, said in which F g.- 1 1.? a s de ele ation of the spring barrel end ell be ng held against being also circular to have bearing fit with the inner face of the adjacent wall of shell 7, as clearly indicated in Figs. 3, 7 and 10. Said spring barrel has another reduced annular extension 14 projecting inwardly from the inner end wall 15 of the spring barrel and terminating to be flush with the inner face of the door, said spring barrel end wall 15 being held against/the inner face of the adjacent wall of the shell 7, as clearly indicated in the latter mentioned figures of the drawings. The holes in the shell 7 through which the extensions 12 and 14 pass, snugly receive these extensions and'to further hold the spring barrel 1 from movement with respect to the door, the end walls 13, 15 thereof are flattened, as indicated at 13, 15, these flattened portions being in close engagement with the transverse portion '7 of the door shell. To still further hold the spring barrel 1 from ,movementwith respect to the door, the periphery of the portion of the spring of the door shell 7 is polygonal, as indicated at 14 in Figs. 8 and 9, the opening in this door shell wall being of corresponding contour and snugly receiving the polygonal formation 14.

, The arcuate wall portion of the spring barrel between the end walls 13 and 15 is coaxial with the spring barrel extensions 12 and 14 and theend walls 13 and 15, these end walls being circular except at the flattened portions 13', 15. A collar 16 is sur; rounded by the end wall 15 and its extension 14 and is of circular contour where it is-surrounded by said extension 14, the opening in this extension that receives said collar said collar to enable the collar to turn and be guided in its turning movement. The

bore of the collar 16 is polygonal in contour and is in snug fit with one end of the hollow shaft 17, this shaft end being of corresponding polygonal shape, as indicated at 17', most clearly in Fig. 9. Said shaft is thus journalled, at one end, upon one end wall, 15, of the spring barrel. The other end' of this shaft is rotatively supported by the spring barrel extension 12, as will appear. This shaft end projects through thedoor 3 to the exterior of the door and is there received within the hub 18 of the outer handle 19, the shaft and handle hub being se cured in fixed relation by a pin-20. The hub of the handle is journalled upon the inturned rim portion 12 of the spring barrel extension 12; The latch bolt, hereinafter to be described, is released from door holding engagement by turning the handle 19 on the outer side of the door or by turning. the handle 21 upon the inner side of the door, the hub of the latter handle snugly receiving the polygonal end 17, of said shaft. To prevent the handle 21 from being displaced may be withdrawn from latching t in effect, being barrel extensionlet which is surrounded by the adjacent wall bar which is 1,eee,asa

by movement lengthwise ofthe shaft, a set screw 22 is screwed into the hub of this handle into engagement with the shaft.

The latch bolt 23 is carried by the intermediate portion 2 1 of a U-shaped yoke, the 7e ends 25, 26 of theyoke being in the nature of rings through which the shaft 17 is passed. In accordance with an important feature of my invention, means are provided for conplingthe latch bolt with and uncoupling it from the bolt operating shaft or member 17. When the bolt is coupled with the shaft, it I position by operating either handle 19 or 21. Whenthe bolt is uncoupled from the shaft, it can so not be operated by either handle, the bolt,

then locked in holding engagement with the V-shaped catch 27 which is contained within the recess 28 formed in the adjacent side of the door frame. The means which I have shown for this purpose resides in a key 29 which passes'through diametrically opposite slots 30 in the hollow shaft 17. This key is in the formof a narrower than the length of said slots to permit the key to be moved bodily longitudinally of the shaft 1 to one position in which it is received within notches 25 formed in the yoke end 25 whereby the latch bolt is coupled with the 5 shaft to turn therewith, and to another position in which the key is removed from said notches to permit the shaft to be turned without turning the latch bolt. Stop lugs 31 are struckinwardly from the end wall 13 of the spring barrel into the zone and circle of movement of the key to limit the extent to which the key and the shaft 17 carrying the key may be turned.

The key 29 is adjustable longitudinally of the shaft 17 from the outer side of the door by means of a key controlled locking mech anism in the structure of Figs. 1 to 9. The locking mechanism illustrated includes a r0 tatable tumbler barrel 32 which is coaxial with and mounted to turn in the handle 19 that receives it. This tumbler barrel in=- cludes a number of tumblers 33 movable transversely thereof into and out of the recesses34 formed in the handle on diametrically opposite sides of the tumbler barrel, thesetumblers serving to hold the tumbler barrel in either of two diametrically opposite positions with respect to handle 19 and to which positions the tumbler barrel may be placed by turning the lock key 35 a half turn each time the tumbler barrel is to-be brought to a new position, the inserted lock key withdrawing the tumblers from the recesses 34 to permit the tumbler barrel to be turned. The tumbler barrel is locked into selected fixed relation with the handle 19 when the tumblers are brought into register with the recesses 34: and following the withdrew-a1 of the lock key 35. When the tumbler barrel is turned tothe position shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the key 29 enter the notches 25' whereby the handles and shaft are coupled and enablingthe latch bolt to be withdrawn from engagement with the catch when either handle 19 or 21 is turned, whereafter the lock key may be withdrawn to permit the tumblers to enter recesses 34. The tumbler barrel is turned 180 degrees from the position shown in Fig: 3 in order to withdraw the key 29 from said notches 25 so that either handle may be turned without withdrawing the latch bolt 23 from the catch 27. \Vhen the tumbler barrel is brought to this position, the tum-- blers ma again enter the recesses 34, following t e withdrawal of the lock key 35, sothat the key 29 is locked out "of engagement with the notches 25, thereby locking the handles out of actuating. relation with the bolt. If the bolt is in engagement with the catch, the door 3 is'thus locked shut. The means shown through which the tumbler barrel operates upon the key 29 is inclusive .of a bar 36 which is slidingly received in the bore of the shaft 17 and through which bar the key 29 is passed, this key and bar being in fixed relation at one end of the bar. The key 29 has snug sliding fit within the slots 30 so that the bar and shaft may turn together. The other. end of the bar carries a pin 37 which rides upon the cam portion 38 at of the tumbler barrel 32. A coiled spring 39 is contained within the bore of the shaft 17, one end of this spring engaging the abutment screw 40 which is screwed .in one end of the 'shaft,'t-he other end of this spring pressing upon the-bar 36 to hold the pin 37 against the cam 38, the cam, pin, and spring cooperating to define the longitudinal osition of the bar and the key 29 carried y the bar. Another important ciaracteristic of my invention resides in the provision of means for holding the latch bolt 23 and the catch 27 in engagement in a manner to compensate for any wear of these parts that would otherwise permit them to be loosely engaged and thereby permit the door to rattled In accordance invention, means are provided for yieldingly pressing one of the elements 23, 27 against these two elements are in holding relation. I have employed a coiled spring 41 for this purpose, this spring incidentally surrounding the shaft 17 and having one end anchored upon the spring barrel 1 at 1 and having its other end in engagementwith the yoke portion 24 at 24. This spring is constantly under tension which is sufficient to maintain the latch bolt 23 in firm engagement with the catch 27 .when the door is closed thereby compensating for any wear upon these parts 23 and 27. The latch the other I while the inner end automobile for couphng .is unprovidedwith this feature of my- 39- replaces the .29 passes through the bar 36" bolt 23 and its supporting. yoke 24,25,26

is free to be turned within the spring barrel 1 by said spring throughout a sufliclent' range whose limit is desirably defined by means of lugs 42 upon} the yoke ends 25,

26. Fig. 4 shows the spring 41 functioning 'mit further movement of the latch bolt in a clockwise direction in the event of additional wear. The surface of the bolt 23 that engages the catch 27 is. preferably oblique to the-axis of rotation of the bolt to further assure the maintenance of engagement of these two elements. The spring41, in addition to performing the functioning which has beendescribed for it, also serves as a means for permitting the bolt 23 to automatically have latching engagement with the catch 27 when the door is being brought to a closed position. When the door is being closed, the latch bolt will ride upon the inclined surface 27 of the V-shaped catch 27 and will slip behind the catch into holding engagement with the holding surface thereof that forms aV with the surface 27, Fig. 2, the tension of the spring 41 increasing as the bolt rides upon the catch surface 27' and partially yielding when the bolt is in holding engagement with the catch.

The latching mechanism of my invention that is supplied with the key operated 1ocking mechanism described is desirably provided upon the right hand fore door of an automobile. provided with the key operated mechanism, may be provided in connection with each of the other doors in which event it is furnished with means operable from within the the latchbolt with and uncoupling it from the operating shaft so as to permit the latch bolt to be operated or prevent it from being operated by the corresponding handle, on the exterior of the automobile. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 10 where'the operating han-' dle 19 upon the exterior of 'the automobile with a key controlled locking mechanism but which is adapted to be coupled with-the operating. shaft in a manner This latching mechanism, un-

similar to that in which the handle 19 is coupled with the operating shaft. Parts illustrated'in Fig. 10 which are similar to parts elsewhere illustrated are given similar characters of reference. In Fig. 10, the bar 36. replaces the bar 36 and the coiled spring coiled spring .39. The key and is related to the shaft 17, as in the key'controlled lock structure previously described. The spring 39 presses the bar tain the key 29 in the notches 25,, this spring being .bottomed upon and within the handle 36 inwardly to main-' bayonetslotis in register with after the plunger 18 turned 19'. in order that the key 29 may be placed in an uncoupling position from within the automobile, ll provide "a plunger 43 having a thumb piece 43' thereon whereby it may be pressed inwardly, this plunger engaging one end of the bar 36" whereby this bar may be moved sufficiently to place the key 29 out of the zone of the yoke end 25. This plunger is provided with a bayonet slot 44 in its side that receives a pin 45 fixed upon the shaft 17 and projecting from the shaft into said bayonet slot. When the handle 19' is to be given control of the latch bolt, the parts are in the adjustment as illustrated in Fig. 10 but when the handle 19' is to be uncoupled from the latchbolt, the plunger 43 is de' pressed until the transverse branch of the the pin whereto cause the transverse branch of the bayonet slot to re ceive the pin whereby the key 29 is locked outside of the zone of the yoke end 25 to maintain the handle 19 uncoupled from the latch bolt. The handle 19, as in the case of the handle 19, is free to turn when the key 29 is in uncoupling position. The degree of turning movement of the handle is limited by such lug formations as indicated at 31 in Fig. 6. It is understood that the handle 21, in thestructure of Fig. 10, is coupled or uncoupled with the bolt when handle 19 is so coupled or uncoupled. In both forms of the invention hitherto described,'the larger portion of collar 16 prevents the key 29 from being entered into the notches 25 by inwardly pushing the handle 19 or 19.

The form of the invention illustrated in figs. 12 to 16 inclusive has many features in common with the structures hitherto described, like parts being given similar characters of reference. in this third form 'of' the invention the shaft 17 serves the purpose of the shaft 17, but is in the form of a hollow hexagonal tube, instead of being cylindrical. This shaft 17 is surrounded by a stationary sleeve 16 which has notches 16 formed in one. end thereof in which the key 29 is constantly received in either adjustment thereof, this key playing in the slots 30 and being movable into and out of the'notches 25 as in the case of the other embodiments of the invention. The notches 16 are wide enough to permit the shaft 17 to turn throughout its arcuate range of movement. The sleeve 16, is formed with an annular head 16 which has a notch 16 thereirr that receives the tongue 15 carried by the wall 15 of the spring barrel 1. As this spring barrel is stationary, the sleeve 16 is thus held from rotation. The sleeve is held from axial movement means of 'a second bead '16 engaging the outer face of the barrel end wall 15 and which draws the bead 16 tightly against the inner face of this wall. The cap 13 commesses pletes the spring barrel at the end thereof which is opposite the end wall 15. The cap may be suitably held in position as by spot welding. The shoulderlQ upon this cap engages an adjacent shoulder, Figs. 12 and 14, upon the hub of the handle 19 so that this handle can not be thrust inwardly to defeat the purpose of the latch. In each form of the invention illustrated, the holding surface of the bolt slopes, from the side thereof that initially engages the holding surface of the catch, toward the riding surface of the catch, when the holding surfaces of the bolt and catch are in engagement, whereby said spring is adapted to effect compensation for wear upon either of said holding surfaces. The holding surface of the latch thus laps the catch when the latch and catch are in holding engagement.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

claim:

, l. latching mechanism including a latching bolt mounted to turn and having a holding surface oblique to the axis of the bolt; a catch having a holding surface and a lid ing surface angular to the holding surface, said bolt being arranged to ride upon and clear said riding surface to bring its holding surface into engagement with the holding surface of the catch; a spring pressed upon by the bolt when tl e bolt rides upon said riding surface and serving to turn the bolt and press the holding surface thereof upon the holding surface of the catch. when the bolt clears the riding surface of the catch; a stationary barrel containing said spring and upon which one end of the. spring is anchored, the other end of the spring engaging the bolt; a shaft coaxial with the bolt; a member for coupling the shaft and boltand adjustable into coupling and uncoupling positions; a handle upon the shaft; and a locking device in cont-rolling relation to said coupling member.

2. Latching mechanism including a latching bolt mounted to turn and having a holding surface oblique ,to the axis of the bolt; a catch having a holding surface and a riding surface angular to the holding surface, said bolt being arranged to ride upon and clear said riding surface to bring its holding surface into engagement with the holding surface of the catch: a spring pressed upon by the bolt when the bolt rides'upon said riding surface and serving to turn the bolt and press the holding surface'thereof upon the holding surface of the catch when the bolt clears the riding surface of the catch; a'stationary barrel containing said spring and uponwhich one end of the spring is anchored, the other end of the spring engaging the bolt; a shaft coaxial with the bolt; a member for coupling the pling and uncoupling positions; a handle upon the shaft; and a locking device having a key operated member in controlling relation to said coupling member.

3. Latching mechanism including a latching bolt mounted to turn and having a holda ing surface oblique to the axis of the bolt; a

catch having a holding surface and a. riding surface angular to the holding surface, said bolt being arranged-to ride upon and clear said riding surface to bring its holding surface into engagement with the holding surface of the catch; and a spring pressed upon by the bolt when the bolt rides upon said riding surface and serving to turn the bolt and press the holding surface thereof upon the holding surface of the catch when the bolt clears the riding surface of the catch, the holding surface of the bolt sloping, from the side thereof that initially engages the holding surface of the catch, toward the riding surface of the catch, when the holding surfaces of the bolt and catch are in engagement. v v

4. Latohing mechanism including a latch ing bolt mounted to turn; a catch positioned -to be engaged by the bolt when the bolt is turned in one direction and to be freed of holding engagement with the bolt when the bolt is reversely'turned, the holding surface of the bolt being oblique to the axis of the bolt; and spring means pressing upon the bolt in aturning direction to maintain said oblique holding surface of the bolt in holdto be engaged by the bolt when the bolt is turned in one direction and to be freed of engagement with the bolt when the bolt is reversely turned, the holding surface of one of the aforesaid elements being oblique to the axis of said bolt and lapping the holding surface of the other element when the bolt and catch are in holding engagement; and spring means pressing one of the aforesaid elements in holding direction upon the other I when these elementsial'e in latching engagement.

6. Latching mechanism including a latching bolt mounted to turn; a V-shaped catch upon one of whoseV forming surfaces the bolt is adapted to ride clear thereof into holding engagement with the other of such surfaces; and a spring in turning relation to the bolt and pressed upon by the bolt when the bolt is riding upon the first aforesaid surface of the catch and pressing the bolt upon the second aforesaid surface of the catch when the bolt clears the first aforesaid surface of the catch.

7. Latching mechanism including a latching bolt; a V-shaped catch upon one of whose V forming surfaces the bolt is adapted to ride clear thereof into holding engagement with the other of such surfaces; and a spring in moving relation to the bolt and pressed upon by the bolt when the bolt is riding upon the first aforesaid surfaceof the catch and pressing the bolt upon the secondaforesaid surface of the catch when the bolt clears the first aforesaid surface of the catch.

8. Latching mechanism including a latch ing bolt; a catch engageable by the bolt; a

shaft in turning relation to the bolt; a handle for turning the shaft; a coupling member for coupling-thehandle and shaft; cam mechanism governing said coupling memher; and locking mechanism operable upon said cam mechanism to place the coupling member in uncoupling position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

